"When I first saw the
system, in my heart I knew that was the way the country needed to go, because
the issues that were coming up strong, this system addressed," . . . says
Curtis Coombs, general manager for F.M.I. Inc., a logging company based in
Dayton,Washington.

By Carmen Edwards

The system Curtis
Combs feels so strongly about is cut-to-length (CTL) timber
harvesting. The issues? Soil compaction, soil disturbance, better
utilization and residual stand protection. A twenty-year veteran
of the woods, Curtis has worked with the Forest Service, and
managed his own company with a partner. Over the years, he's held
shifting perspectives on CTL, and thinks CTL is often
misunderstood. "A lot of people don't understand what it can
do for lands management," he observes. "CTL is a timber
harvesting system that's very sensitive to the environment."
Curtis thinks it's time for all those concerned - from loggers to
the Forest Service to environmentalists - to realize they all want
the same thing - a healthy, good-looking forest. "I see so
much frustration," says Curtis. "The Forest Service
can't manage forests because they're afraid of being taken to
court. And if the environmentalists would come out and see CTL,
maybe they'd see there is a way. Let's base things on facts and
put political agendas aside." And the facts are CTL systems
increase utilization, minimize soil impact (the Forest Service
estimates 3 to 5 percent ground disturbance), protect stands and
minimize road building. Currently, Curtis says there are about
eight out of 40 companies using CTL systems in southeast
Washington state.

CTL
harvesters leave a soft footprint in the forest

THE CTL
SYSTEM
At F.M.I. Inc., Curtis says their system is made up of Partek's
Valmet CTL harvester and forwarders The harvester is a 921 wheeled
harvester; the forwarder is an 860 8- wheeler which can haul 16
tons out of the woods at one time, or about half a truck-load.
Curtis is happy with the purchase and notes, "Everyone has
their preferences, and I really believe the Valmet 921 harvester
is the most productive out there. It's very nimble in getting
around the woods and harvesting timber with the least amount of
impact on the ground. It's big and strong and can handle large
trees as well as small trees. It has good visibility for the
operator - when you're in a tight stands, and you want to
selectively cut, first of all you have to be able to see it, and
this machine does allow you to do that. Dealer support is a major
issue with that kind of capital investment, and we've used Valmet
since 1993. This machine we've had a little over a year, and we're
very happy with it so far." Curtis admits it costs more to
use CTL equipment, but says the machine is returning higher
productivity and is keeping the company busy, while increasing its
competitiveness.

CTL
harvesters, such as the Valmet 921, can handle large and
small trees

THE FOREST
SERVICE ON CTL
Dan Kinney, a sales administrator for the Forest Service for 12
years, agrees with Curtis on the benefits of CTL. "There's
less stand damage, a reduced need for brush disposal, little soil
disturbance, and it helps with fish issues, since we don't have
soil run-off and sediment going to the streams." Dan says
that in the Walla Walla, Washington ranger district they have 100
percent cut-to-length. He explains, "Since '95, we haven't
sold a sale that's been conventional tractor skidding. We were
able to put out sales either with "no-effect" calls or
"not-likely-to-harm-fish" calls." (The three
criteria used for Forest Service projects are: no effect; not
likely to adversely affect; and likely to adversely affect.) He
says costs are a factor. Tractor skidding costs run 90 to 100 per
MBF. CTL costs are higher, running 110 to 125 per MBF. Dan notes,
"It is a little more expensive, but worth it because we're
getting reduced brush disposal costs, and the other big factor is
there just isn't any damage to the residual tree stand anymore and
no soil impact. We used to be so worried about soil disturbance
and now with the CTL system we run 3-5 percent soil
disturbance."

CTL
forwarders run at only 3 to 5 percent soil disturbance

TOO MANY
TREES
Curtis says of managed areas, "They [environmentalists]
believe we don't have enough trees. The problem is we have too
many trees." In areas that have been managed, he sees trees
grow so thickly and well that more work is required to stay on top
of properly thinning those areas so the rest of the trees remain
healthy. He says cutting those trees is not bad, but necessary and
notes, "Unthinned areas become fire hazards and Mother Nature
will thin those areas out, given enough time. With CTL, we simply
get ahead of Mother Nature.

BENEFIT TO MILLS
According to Curtis, CTL benefits mills by extending the
harvesting season to 11 months of the year. Currently, mills
harvest in summer and fall and accumulate inventory in their
yards. With CTL systems, they can harvest in the winter and in
wetter soils and still not damage the soil. By extending the
season, mills don't have to hold such large inventories in their
yards. Also, because the lengths are already cut in the woods,
mills can save that step. Species can also be sorted out in the
woods, to better market the product. And CTL machines can also be
programmed with cutting specs for top diameters and are better
able to manufacture log products for diff mills, diameter and
species sorts.

SFI CERTIFICATION
SFI (Sustainable Forestry Initiative) certification is good
business, since more and more mills are looking for it, according
to Curtis. For example, Boise Cascade (BC) is going through the
SFI certification process right now and by 2002, anyone that works
for BC will be certified. Curtis says CTL could be a key to
private landowners, state and federal land managers, and mill
companies to get and keep SFI certification, if CTL is considered
from the basis of groundbased acres.

THE FUTURE FOR
CUT TO LENGTH
"In your heart and your soul, if you want to do a good job,
you've got to put the monetary investment out there," says
Curtis. Dan Kinney of the Forest Service says of CTL, "I
definitely think it's the future. Before '96, you couldn't find a
lot of [CTL] systems, now there are a lot of systems. "The
rest of the world is already there and have been there for years.
I think as more and more people within the Forest Service agency
see the benefits outweigh the dollars cost, it's just a matter of
time and we'll be there." Curtis agrees and details the
advantages of CTL: "You're better able to selectively harvest
and thin your final cut. You're not building so many roads, which
means a light hand on the land. Employees are safer in protective
cabs all day long." Curtis adds, "I feel wholeheartedly
that CTL is going to replace the old ground-based logging systems
- when, I don't know, because we're talking about economics, but
eventually CTL will take over timber harvesting." Everyone
seems to agree that today and in the future, loggers will need to
be more sensitive to the needs of both the environment and market
demands.

Carmen Edwards is
a feature and business writer who specializes in the forest
product industry. She brings years of experience at Weyerhaeuser
to her writing for TimberWest.